I am writing one handed while holding Joshua and rocking him to sleep, so this will not be a very wordy post. One of the things that we loved about our house when we first looked at it were the abundance of trees. Two of which are apple trees – one red and another green….

Yesterday we talked about this pie. Unfortunately, I can’t share the recipe with you, because it is from The Balanced Plate cookbook. Although, I did alter the recipe quite a bit (to use gelatin and coconut flour), however, it needs additional testing before sharing with anyone beyond my family. For some reason the other night when…

Happy Veteran’s Day! Thank you to all of the men and women who have diligently served our country and risked their lives for us. We are all so very grateful for your service. God bless you! ——— It snowed yesterday! The boys enjoyed playing in the snow while I attempted to shovel the snow that…

A friend of mine posted the following quote on Facebook today and I felt it was appropriate given the theme of this post: pumpkin. “No matter how urban our life, our bodies live by farming; we come from the earth and return to it, and so we live in agriculture as we live in flesh.”…

Back in March when we began our grain-free journey with a Whole30, I found myself doing a ton of research on paleo eating, specifically related to paleo snacks that my children and husband would enjoy. I knew that their normal snacks of granola bars and muffins were easily paleo-itized. But those snacks used pound after pound…

When L began eating solids back in March we loosely followed the Baby-Led Weaning approach. I was surprised at how well he did feeding himself cute pieces of super soft foods. So, honestly we haven’t had a huge need for homemade baby food purees, like we did when M was a baby. I am really loving…

Holy buckets, friends. Guess what happened today? Besides the craziness that lead me to send my husband a novel of a text message outlining the intense psychosis that is staying at home with a 10 month old boy, 3 year old boy and 10 year old cat and the emotional and physical trauma that can…

I posted this picture last week and got lots of requests for the recipe, so I thought I would pop in while the kids finish up their naps to share this very simple recipe that has become one of my go-to snacks. I love to top my Quinoa Protein Cereal with either fresh berries, banana…

I apologize for the blurry, unflattering photos below. Our new camera should arrive next week, so I will be using my iPhone less for food pics. Even if I did have the DSLR at my disposal, it’s difficult to take an appetizing photo of curry – the reddish pink sauce makes most veggies look brown,…

This is what it looks like outside right now. Yep. That’s a bunch of snow. God has quite a sense of humor, doesn’t he? The last time MN had snow in April was 2002, the year I graduated from high school. Prior to that, you have to go back to the 1980’s. Hmmm… something just…

Between our regular grocery trips, my in-laws trees and our CSA fruit share, we have an overabundance of apples. Of course I have been busy making crockpot applesauce any chance that I can get; however, our new favorite way to enjoy the fall harvest has been Green Apple Pie Smoothies. Matthew has been teething since…

There was a big head of lacinato kale that I purchased at the farmer’s market two weeks ago sitting in my crisper drawer taking up much needed space. I had intended to create simple massaged kale salads for lunch every day last week, but instead opted for salads using CSA greens. This week the beautiful…

This was honestly one of the BEST sumer salads we have enjoyed in quite a while! Honestly, it was a completely impromptu, clean out the fridge kind of meal that took all of us by surprise. I love how unplanned meals can sometimes be the most delicious and rewarding. When planning dinner, I knew that…

Can you believe that we are in the midst of strawberry season already?!? I adore sweet, local berries and am so excited that the season is arriving early and with a vengeance this year. Usually the local MN strawberries are bright red, extremely sweet and very fragile. They can be difficult to handle and bake…

Yikes! It is hot and humid. Seriously, last week it was rainy and the mercury barely rose above 60˚. Gotta love MN weather! I wasn’t quite sure how my pregnant body would tolerate the heat and humidity of Minnesota summers, but so far, so good. Matthew and I are both warm blooded and like to…

As I mentioned earlier this afternoon, we enjoyed an amazing stack of blueberry pancakes this morning to celebrate this little guy’s birthday. Matthew, like his mama, loves breakfast! I knew that I wanted to make something special for him this morning to celebrate the big T-W-O and instantly thought of pancakes. A couple months ago,…

Have you been wondering to yourself, where in the world has that Maria Makes Muffins been?!? She hasn’t posted in weeks! Today I am here to answer that question… With the second trimester in full swing, Matthew and I have had quite a bit to catch up on. It felt like the first trimester moved…

I had to stop in briefly this afternoon to tell you about the most amazing treat that I whipped up for bible study tomorrow morning. When I signed up for fellowship at bible study I immediately knew that I wanted to bring a healthy baked good. There were a few reasons for my decision: 1….

I was honored to find out that my recipe for BBQ Quesadillas was featured on Yummly yesterday in a line up of Cheesy Quesadillas. There are several deliciously tempting quesadilla recipes highlighted that you should definitely try! What on the menu tonight? We are having a quick veggie-filled frittata with freshly baked bread. Pregnancy cravings…

Can you believe Easter is only a little over two weeks away? I know that some of you are busily planning your Easter brunch menus, children’s activities and household tasks to be completed before the big day while others haven’t given Easter a second thought. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to share…

… may not keep the doctor away, but will definitely put a smile on your face. A few weeks ago while pinning, I saw a gorgeous photo of a german (aka puff) pancake. I immediately wanted one. However, I knew that if I was going to indulge in such a decadent breakfast everyone in our…

We had a bit of an unusual weekend and decided that instead of kicking off the weekend with pizza night, we would end the weekend with the family’s favorite meal. As you know, I have a recipe for an amazing whole wheat pizza crust that I raved about for months. Unfortunately, we are now gluten-free…

With the start of the new year and the popularity of get healthy resolutions, Whole Foods hosted a screening of the movie, Forks Over Knives at a local library. I have been wanting to see this movie for some time, but unfortunately were unable to make any of the Minneapolis showings in 2011. We called…

1. A couple weeks ago, I was sent a sample of Morrocco Method Styling Dragon Pomade. As you know, I tried the complete line of Morrocco Method shampoos and conditioners this summer, as I tried to go ‘poo-free. I was very saddened when their products didn’t work out for me at that time; however, I…

This would be the post that I would share my New Year’s resolutions, if I were the type to make resolutions. However, honestly, I’m not a big believer in resolutions. I don’t need a new year in order to get me in the mood to set goals and reach them. I’m just the type of…

I am still in love with Ashley’s chai spice blend. Yum! Every week I make a batch of clean and healthy snack muffins or cookies for Matthew to enjoy throughout the week. It’s an easy way for me to ensure that he is getting enough healthy fat, whole grains and fruits/veggies. Plus, I can pop…

Happy Monday! I have 3 loads of of laundry waiting to be folded and Matthew will be up from his nap very soon… yikes! folding laundry + Matthew = laundry all over the house I wanted to give you a taste of what my clean menu looks like on a daily basis. I try to…

Matthew and I have been enjoying our Advent Calendar activities. Matthew looks forward to opening the Advent Calendar door and unfolding the little piece of paper every day. I found little clip art photos to represent each activity so that he can recognize what we are doing without the need for me to read the…

“…yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 As Christmas nears I find myself getting more and more strapped for personal time. There are so many things that I would like to do, people I would like to visit and experiences I would like to enjoy with Matthew. However, it seems that there…

These sweet potatoes were wonderful! They can be enjoyed sweet, as shown above, or savory, as shown below. To make the sweet version omit the roasted garlic and rosemary from the recipe below and add 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice. During the last few minutes of cooking top with marshmallows…

Pumpkin Brownie Pie Adapted from Oh She Glows This is one of the most decadent desserts I have ever made. The brownie is perfectly chocolatey and gooey while the pumpkin pie filling is better than traditional pumpkin pie. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. Print this recipe. Serves 8 Pumpkin Pie Filling 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 tbsp…

A couple days ago my mother-in-law made a big batch of spaghetti sauce with her remaining garden tomatoes. I had several pounds of ripe big beef, cherry and roma tomatoes in my basement waiting to be used. This afternoon I decided to roast all of my ripe tomatoes along with minced garlic, quartered onions, baby…

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 Happy {day after} Halloween from one dragon to another! Life has been busy! We are thinking about putting our house back on the market and have spent the last several days preparing. There…

After having such great success making steel cut oats in my slow cooker, I wondered if the same things could be done with teff, which is our second favorite breakfast grain. Guess what? It worked! Since I suspect that Allan’s digestive issues are caused by gluten, teff has become our go-to breakfast porridge. We usually…

A few things… 1. We spent the morning playing with our friends Renea and Dakota. 2.The house is clean. 3. Matthew only took an hour long nap. Needless to say, it’s been a productive day. However, due to #3, this is going to be a quick post. Yes, these are the Gluten Free Apple Cider…

Have you ever watched the show, The Best Thing I Ever Are? When we had cable, I would tune in to Food Network when I was doing chores… folding laundry, stuffing cloth diapers, etc. Inevitably, the show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, would be on. I much prefer cooking shows like Giada At Home…

With the celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving last weekend, I have been getting into the holiday mood. Now I know that it isn’t even Halloween yet, but I absolutely love the Holiday Season! Is it sad that I even listened to a few Christmas Songs on my iPhone last week? Yep. It happened. With the new…

A couple weeks ago while at the Mill City Farmer’s Market, I picked up a half-gallon of freshly pressed, unpasturized apple cider from Sweetland Orchard. I knew right away that I wanted to use it in my baking. The next day I made a pot of crock pot steel cut oats and subbed in 1…

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 Pumpkin Donuts Serve these pumpkin donuts with a side of scrambled eggs for a special weekend breakfast or with a slice of string cheese as a quick grab and go snack during the week. Print this…

Today has been a crazy day that included trips to both Target and Whole Foods. I think I need a nap. It’s days like today that I need a healthy portable snack for both Matthew and I that does not require refrigeration and can be enjoyed while strolling the grocery store aisles. In the past…

A dear friend of mine, Natalie, has a son who is three weeks younger than Matthew. Prior to becoming a mom, she relied on simple meals to feed herself and her husband; however now that she is feeding a youngling, she has been revamping their diets to focus more on sustainable, organic fare that is…

It has been quite the eventful week around here and it’s only Tuesday! Matthew and I have been checking things off our list left and right… including cleaning the house {finally!}, laundry {very exciting}, food prep {coconut butter, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, larabars, pumpkin oatmeal protein bars, zucchini breakfast bakes, pumpkin pudding} and finally…

We had an amazing four day weekend together! I can’t wait to tell you all about it. On Friday, Allan took a day of vacation and we went to the MN State Fair. Look for a recap on this escapade tomorrow. Today, I want to tell you about our One Bag Mexican Fiesta that I…

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you already know about my Mama Pea lady love. While I do not know her personally, her witty sense of humor and lovely stories about her daily adventures are heartwarming and inviting. In a way, her family reminds me of my own, minus…

According to our monthly meal plan for August, on Saturday morning we were supposed to have cinnamon rolls from Mama Pea’s new book. However, for the last week I had been craving french toast. So, our plans changed. Instead I thawed the last loaf of homemade cinnamon swirl bread overnight and we had french toast….

Today is supposed to be the last day of the oppressive heat and humidity that we have been experiencing here in the upper midwest (and across the rest of the country!). I cannot wait for the storms to roll in and for the cooler, fall-like low-humidity seventies to arrive tomorrow. Matthew and I plan to…

I first saw facon (aka tempeh bacon) on Peas and Thank You a couple months ago. At the time I didn’t think much of it; however, as I was making our meal plan for the month of July I decided to make baked eggs that usually include turkey bacon. However, I’m not a big fan…

Over the weekend I finished Rachel Cosgrove’s The Female Body Breakthrough and was so excited to pick back up the heavy weights yesterday! I felt super energized after my workout and as the day grew to night I began to feel DOMS set in. I still don’t have a foam roller, but ordered this one this morning….

We had another glorious weekend filled with sunshine, family and amazing food! On Friday night Allan and I went on a date to Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill where we dined alfresco on amazing food including a cosmo for her and a mojito for him (my first vodka since having Matthew). We shared the mediterranean flatbread, mediterranean…

Last Friday morning before work, Allan asked me if we were having Friday night pizza and I told him, “of course, it’s Friday, isn’t it?” He then asked me what kind of pizza we were having and I told him “you’ll see”. When he arrived home to see me shredding potatoes he was very suspicious….

I had this post ready to publish last night and we lost power. Darn heat wave. Sorry for the delay. — The other day while I was perusing the new Clean Eats and Exercise forum, I got to thinking about my Simply Clean blog. It’s such a shame that I left so much relevant and…

We arrived home late from Albert Lea and I knew that Matthew would be up early, so I prepped overnight oats. Allan’s has whole milk yogurt and 2% milk. Mine had homemade low-fat kefir and 2% milk. Served with a side of fresh farmer’s market musk melon. So refreshing on a HOT day! Starting Saturday,…

As you know, Friday is breakfast bake day around here. Originally I had planned to make this Blueberry Stuffed Breakfast Bake. However, after scouring the cupboards I found week and a half old strawberries that needed to be eaten, no buckwheat flour to be found and very little milk. So the following is a breakfast…

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook, you most likely saw me live tweeting Allan’s 7 hour long visit to the HCMC ER last night. Allan was on his way home from work on a road that was repaved and graveled earlier that day. He took…

Allan is usually caffeine-free. This post is not. Lately we have had several late nights and early mornings in a row coupled with the intoxicating smell of freshly ground organic Caribou coffee, so, for good reason, Allan has been enjoying a single cup o’ joe with breakfast. When I did our monthly meal plan, I…

Lately Mister Matthew has been on a utensil kick. If he sees a fork or a spoon he must have it and use it to consume whatever masterpiece that I make for him. The other day he insisted upon feeding himself leek soup with a spork and a spoon. This was the resulting mess. Not…

Hello Pinners! I am so happy that you clicked through and found MMM. The following recipe for Overnight Oats is one of my favorite Spring and Summer breakfasts. Don’t want to add protein powder to your overnight oats or want to make a batch for your kids? I have an updated recipe here that is…

Allan and I have never been big fans of leftovers. Over the years I have learned to creatively use up leftovers in a gracious manner, but most of the time leftovers are presented at our table in the same state that they were originally created. Don’t get me wrong, leftovers make wonderful quick lunches and…

We have been on the run lately, so it was essential that I take half an hour and whip up a couple batches of various protein bars and snacks for grab-and-go snacks while in the car, running errands, or going to play dates. During the week , Matthew and I have been enjoying quality time…

Listen up! Put down your remote and head to the kitchen immediately (after reading this post) to prep this breakfast for tomorrow morning. You’re welcome ahead of time. Trust me, you will love me in the morning. We had a handful of extra organic cherries that needed to be used up and after seeing the…

Today was an amazing day filled with laughter, sunshine and family. I love afternoons spent talking, munching and playing in the sunshine with those that mean the most to me. It was glorious! Last night I was so excited to enjoy a Cooler 2 breakfast that I threw together this simple Rhubarb Strawberry sauce that…

Prior to Matthew’s birthday party last weekend I had no clue how to correctly frost a cake. I wanted Matthew’s first birthday cake to not only be a nutritious whole food delight, I also wanted it to be as beautiful as a store bought cake. So, after scouring the internet, reading demos and watching how-to…

One afternoon day per week Matthew and I spend quality time together in the kitchen prepping food for the week. I hate washing dished, but I love to cook and bake. So, to indulge my creative side and to minimize clean up I cook in large batches of similar items all in one afternoon. That way…

Our garden is overflowing with sweet and sour, ripe rhubarb. And from what I hear, that is the case across the Midwest. So, what should you do with your rhubarb bounty? Why make muffins, of course! My good friend, Laura, wrote to me asking for a rhubarb muffin recipe that was high in protein, but…

Yesterday was a crazy, hectic day! I hate running errands alone and feel like I spend so much of my time getting ready to get things done that I never get anything done! So, I am trying to pack all of my errands into one afternoon trip per week. That way I save time getting…

Lately we have been enjoying fresh, local asparagus by the bushel. Asparagus is hands down one of my favorite veggies and I look forward to its arrival each Spring. We picked up two pounds of asparagus at the Sunday Farmer’s Market and we spared no time to enjoy it. Matthew likes to nibble the small, tender…

Today Matthew and I spent the afternoon cleaning for the two open houses and showing that are taking place this weekend. Since the weather warmed up, we have had a huge increase in showings and hope that coupled with this week’s price reduction will bring in the offers. Know anyone who is house shopping? Send…